How Does Glucose Move Across The Cell Membrane

Glucagon acts on liver cells to promote breakdown of glycogen into glucose and formation of glucose from lactic acid and certain amino acids.

The diffusion across a cell membrane is a process of passive and spontaneous net movement of small lipophilic molecules. The molecules move from a high concentration to a low concentrated region along the concentration gradient. The result being a point of equilibrium, this is where a random molecular motion continues but there is no longer any net movement. However, there are things that can affect the rate of diffusion, these being temperature, surface area, concentration, size of the molecule, permeability, diffusion distance and concentration difference. Osmosis is a type of diffusion as it is the movement of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration. Equilibrium is reached when the solute concentration is equal on both sides. Water potential is measured in kiloPascals, it is the measuring of the concentration of free water molecules that are able to diffuse compared to pure water, which is 0 kilopascals. It is a measure of the tendency of free water molecules to diffuse from one place to another. The result being, the more free water molecules, the higher the Water Potential. However, Water potential is affected by two factors: pressure and the amount of solute.

The receptors in the cells are covered in the insulin, that allows sugar in the blood to enter the cell for energy production. Diabetes mellitus prevents the cells from using the insulin; therefore, the sugar remains in the bloodstream. the insulin will move into through our cells when pancreas released more insulin that have been transformed from the food that we ate into glucose (sugar).

Sugar is the primary fuel for the cells in the body, and the insulin takes the sugar from the blood and into the cells. When glucose builds

Cells get their energy from two main sources; this can be through the breakdown of glucose and the breakdown of triglycerides. Glucose molecules contain energy, the brain and red blood cells are high in glucose molecules.

Homeostasis is the maintenance of near constant conditions/ state of the internal environment of an organism, this is important for the organism as it needs to maintain a near constant internal environment, it does this by allowing the body cells to function at optimal levels so internal and external influences don’t affect the state and conditions of the organism. An example of a homeostatic system is blood glucose regulation. It is the process that is maintained by the body for the levels of blood sugar; glucose, Glucose regulation is a process in the body that keeps it in homeostasis; insulin and glucagon are the main hormones involved in the process. Blood glucose is produced from food we eat, especially carbohydrates, fats and proteins, this is the main source of energy for the human body. Blood glucose is transported to the cells by the circulation and into cells by glucose transporters; some are regulated by insulin. Insulin is one of the hormones produced by the pancreas in which regulates the glucose levels in the blood around the body. Glucose is needed for respiration and the concentration levels of glucose in the blood is important to be kept and maintained at a near constant level (70 to 115mg, in a normal adult). Hyperglycemia means high blood glucose levels, this can caused by several factors such as poor food/ diet and physical activity choices and even illness. The body needs glucose to properly function due to being

Before blood continues to the heart, it must first travel through the liver to metabolize the substances from the GI tract. The carbohydrates that are in the food processing through the GI tract that is then transported to the liver is where it creates, stores, and releases glucose. At this point, the liver helps maintain a normal glucose levels within the blood flowing through the hepatic system. If sugar levels (glucose) were to start getting too high, the pancreas will start producing insulin to help the liver maintain the glucose levels. The drugs that the GI tract absorbs usually loses their potency before it reaches circulation of the blood because the liver processes and metabolizes them. At rest the liver consumes about 20% of total body

Blood carries sugar in its stream for energy. Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which carbohydrate use is reduced and that of

Alcohol lowers blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin production. This is detected by the beta cells of the pancreatic islets and the secretion of insulin is induced. Each hormone has a very specific protein that it will bind to. These are called hormone receptors and once they are bound to the hormone they stimulate a particular response in the cell. Hormones circulate the bloodstream until they find a cell that has the ideal receptor attached to it. Once insulin is secreted into the bloodstream, the hormone stimulates cells, especially muscle and adipose cells, to take up glucose from the blood. The transport of glucose into cells is done by facilitated diffusion. Glucose cannot get across a membrane unless specific transporters are in the membrane to provide a channel for the glucose to move through. Since it is facilitated diffusion, glucose will be transported from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (i.e., down the gradient). The transporters of glucose is called GLUT (GLUcose Transporter), the main transporter is GLUT4. As insulin travels through the bloodstream, it finds its specific receptors on the surface of liver cells, muscle cells and adipose cells. When the insulin binds to the insulin receptor on the cell membranes, cells are stimulated to increase the number of glucose transporters. This is an effect allowing the hormone on the outside of the cell to regulate functions inside the cell even though the hormone has not entered the

A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that causes problems in the way the blood uses food. The inability of the body to transform the sugar into energy is called diabetes. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the primary source of fuel for our bodies. When food is digested, some of the food will be converted into glucose which is then transferred from the blood into the cells however, insulin, which is produced by beta cells in the pancreas is needed. In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

energy. When a person consumes food with sugar, the sugar is broken down into glucose. Glucose is used as an energy source for the body and is transported throughout your blood into the cells by insulin. Without proper amounts of insulin, your body is unable to use the glucose as

The liver is an important organ which operates the bodys energy metabolism. It acts as a centre point to various tissues like skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Food is therefore digested in the gastrointestinal tract, and so the glucose, fatty acids and the amino acids are absorbed within the blood stream. Then these are transported to the liver via the portal vein. The liver is controlled by insulin and other metabolic hormones. Glucose is therefore metabolised in to pyruvate through the process of glycolosis. The pyruvate is then completely oxidised to generate ATP through the TCA cycle and therefore oxidative phosphorylation happens in the mitochondria.

Cells are the basic units of life. Everything alive consists of cells. In order for cells to perform their basic functions, it has to continuously seek homeostasis. This is done by structures within the cell. A structure within the cell is the plasma membrane, which regulates what enters and exits the cell. The cell membrane contains a phospholipid bilayer which causes the cell to have selective permeability; “allowing transport of some chemicals but not others” ( ). Specifically, the phospholipid bilayer allows for the movement of water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Conversely, it is not permeable to ions or polar chemicals. The phospholipid bilayer is in possession of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, which are the polar heads and tails, respectively. This is important because the head attracts water while the tail repels water, thus regulating the substances entering and exiting the cell. When substances pass through the plasma membrane, they use passive or active transport. Whether either transport type is used is determined by the concentration gradient, which is the difference of concentration between areas. In an active transport, the cell must use adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is produced by the mitochondria of the cell and is energy used by the body, because the substance is moving from a lower concentration gradient to a higher

Well this all starts with knowing what glucose is. Most of the sugar in your body is called glucose. Glucose’s main job is to supply the body with energy. The body breaks down glucose. Releasing energy, water and carbon dioxide. It used by almost all tissues in the body, and is the only fuel the brain can use. If your glucose is too high or low this is caused by diabetes.